Eating out almost everyday and not exercising is adding up. Setting out to break this chain, I ran up to the Montjuic castle, and all up hill climb with switchbacks gives great views of the city and the port of Barcelona. The castle was enjoyed from the outside in an effort to save money.
Upon my return my new suitemates, a brother and sister tandem from Minnesota joined up with me to visit the Pablo Picasso museum. The line was long but it was worth it to see the largest collection of Picasso paintings anywhere, including paintings from his early era and the blue period.
Back at the Hostel the night began with more games, including egyptian ratscrew card game and some ping pong. I met yet even more aussies and a few more americans and discussed the running of the bulls with a fellow who was trying to dispersuade all from participating for the shear fact that injuries always occur and the locals use tourists as bate for the bulls. A good thought to consider but as of this moment everything is still a go for pampolona.
That night was a fun time as the Hostel sponsered a trip to to Opium Mar an extravagent club on the beach. Pregaming at a mojito bar we moved onto the multifloor club. They have an outdoor patio with entry and re/re-entry to the beach. Such a cool place to hang out, the night lasted till 4 am. On the cab ride back the driver got upset with us about the agreed upon price (6 euro) which he then changed to 7.50 a small tiff which became bigger when he wouldn´t wait outside the convenience store for us. A stranger helped to interpret the fast and upset words of this cabby which were along the lines of get the hell out of my cab. We did, concluding another fun night in Barca.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
More Barca
Forgive me for this post is long overdue, Im going to touch on the highlights of my past couple days.
The Magic fountain was truly amazing, it sits at the bottom of the large National Palace monument. Sitting up on the railings and steps were thousands of people young and old gathering to see a view of the ¨magic¨ fountain. Much like the belagio fountain in Las Vegas water shoots out to the a sound track and also illuminates with color once the sun goes down.
One of the main differences between barcelona and the usa, has been the women beachgoers who cant seem to find their top. I spent the hotter part of my day laying out at the beach and found this out first hand.
After a one night break from going out, I was encouraged by my swiss roomates to join them at la sperrrezza. This night club was bussing people at midnightt so the pregame began at Kabulś with some wine, heinekin and foosball. This continued to the world famous chupitos shot bar for 2 euro shots, my favorite being the ¨harry potter¨ The alcohol was mixed and then lit on fire and cinnamon is added for a sparkling effect, very cool. That night ended as the sun came up, the first of many all nighters.
I have been able to cover most of the city sights. One that I particularly enjoyed was the Gaudi Casa Mila La pedera. Its an apartment complex designed using contours found in nature. Everything about the place was unconventional. from the terraces to the rooftops it was unlike anything I had seen before. A true artist Gaudi was borderline genius/madman.
I have hit the halfway point for my time in barca, razzmatazz is on schedule for tonight, more to come on that later.
The Magic fountain was truly amazing, it sits at the bottom of the large National Palace monument. Sitting up on the railings and steps were thousands of people young and old gathering to see a view of the ¨magic¨ fountain. Much like the belagio fountain in Las Vegas water shoots out to the a sound track and also illuminates with color once the sun goes down.
One of the main differences between barcelona and the usa, has been the women beachgoers who cant seem to find their top. I spent the hotter part of my day laying out at the beach and found this out first hand.
After a one night break from going out, I was encouraged by my swiss roomates to join them at la sperrrezza. This night club was bussing people at midnightt so the pregame began at Kabulś with some wine, heinekin and foosball. This continued to the world famous chupitos shot bar for 2 euro shots, my favorite being the ¨harry potter¨ The alcohol was mixed and then lit on fire and cinnamon is added for a sparkling effect, very cool. That night ended as the sun came up, the first of many all nighters.
I have been able to cover most of the city sights. One that I particularly enjoyed was the Gaudi Casa Mila La pedera. Its an apartment complex designed using contours found in nature. Everything about the place was unconventional. from the terraces to the rooftops it was unlike anything I had seen before. A true artist Gaudi was borderline genius/madman.
I have hit the halfway point for my time in barca, razzmatazz is on schedule for tonight, more to come on that later.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Barca
Glad to be in the spanish sunshine, the weather here is gorgeous. Interacting with locals I have found that my spanglish works fine in most places. If all communication fails I can still result to hand gestures and slow speech, ha. Beautiful sandy beaches, are a great sight to see. The Kabul hostel where I am at is located in Placa Real just off the overcrowded toruist driven las ramblas.
I met up with some travellers from Sal Paulo Brazil we started our night with a venture to a local bar for some sweet sangria. Some foosball and 2 for one beers back at the hostel started the night. The nights here start late, at 1:45 there was a hostel sponsered night out to a club. Tens and tens of us piled into cabs, we enjoyed dancing and a live dj. The night finished on the beach, an incredible eveningindeed.
Ive been meeting a lot of people from the southern hemisphere, Brazil and Australia mostly who are skipping out on their winter season. 7 of us did a tour of the gothic district a very insightful guide broke down the cities history and lead us to a great spot for phad thai. I continued on to Sagrada Familia with James who was on the tour. Tonight is the "magic fountain" a timed water display which illuminates at night.
I met up with some travellers from Sal Paulo Brazil we started our night with a venture to a local bar for some sweet sangria. Some foosball and 2 for one beers back at the hostel started the night. The nights here start late, at 1:45 there was a hostel sponsered night out to a club. Tens and tens of us piled into cabs, we enjoyed dancing and a live dj. The night finished on the beach, an incredible eveningindeed.
Ive been meeting a lot of people from the southern hemisphere, Brazil and Australia mostly who are skipping out on their winter season. 7 of us did a tour of the gothic district a very insightful guide broke down the cities history and lead us to a great spot for phad thai. I continued on to Sagrada Familia with James who was on the tour. Tonight is the "magic fountain" a timed water display which illuminates at night.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Dutch land
Refreshed after a night in the business suite, we set out to explore Vondelpark. A Sunday morning was the perfect time for a walk, bikers, runners and families filled the park. There was a liveliness to the place, covering almost the whole park. We stopped at a restaurant in the park and enjoyed some people watching. Midday we once again moved into a new hotel, Hotel Singel along the Singel canal.
From there we set out on a canal tour to see the city. Passing through some of Amsterdam's 100 canals, the houses were squished together maximizing the precious little real estate in the city. After the tour, the bustling pubs along the canals called us to try some authentic Netherlands beer. Grolsh, Amstel , and Heineken filled our cups as we watched the busy Sunday crowds migrate.
Walking around downtown, it's hard to miss the red light district. Iit was a sight which was rather shocking for a small town guy from Kenmore. Enjoying the Amsterdam experience, hunger set in. Josesito's a tapas restaurant served satisfying calamari, asparagus, potato omelets with a tasty white wine.
A bustling Sunday turned into a slow night around town, the first full day one of Amsterdam in the book. we were exhausted.
The next day was the hottest day so far, with temps reaching 85 degrees. To beat the heat we rented yellow bikes for 24 hours and rode through Vondelpark, on our way to the Van Gogh museum. The exhibit was incredible and featured not only Van Gogh's paintings but also the artists which helped to shape his style.
Hungry, we stopped for lunch at the Sama Sebo, an Indonesian eatery for some egg noodles, beef with peanut curry, and fried bananas. an enjoyable authentic dish. Continuing on our bicycles, we set out for Osterpark in SE Amsterdam, and after a few wrong turns ended up at Sarphatipark, a good spot to relax and soak up some sun.
Returning through de pijp outdoor market, we parked at a local pub with seating over the canal for a cold one. People were perched on the canals drinking and watching the boats cruise by, a nice leisurely afternoon for sure. As the sun finally dropped below the horizon and the night cooled down, we caroused the streets some, soaking up all that Amsterdam has to offer.
From there we set out on a canal tour to see the city. Passing through some of Amsterdam's 100 canals, the houses were squished together maximizing the precious little real estate in the city. After the tour, the bustling pubs along the canals called us to try some authentic Netherlands beer. Grolsh, Amstel , and Heineken filled our cups as we watched the busy Sunday crowds migrate.
Walking around downtown, it's hard to miss the red light district. Iit was a sight which was rather shocking for a small town guy from Kenmore. Enjoying the Amsterdam experience, hunger set in. Josesito's a tapas restaurant served satisfying calamari, asparagus, potato omelets with a tasty white wine.
A bustling Sunday turned into a slow night around town, the first full day one of Amsterdam in the book. we were exhausted.
The next day was the hottest day so far, with temps reaching 85 degrees. To beat the heat we rented yellow bikes for 24 hours and rode through Vondelpark, on our way to the Van Gogh museum. The exhibit was incredible and featured not only Van Gogh's paintings but also the artists which helped to shape his style.
Hungry, we stopped for lunch at the Sama Sebo, an Indonesian eatery for some egg noodles, beef with peanut curry, and fried bananas. an enjoyable authentic dish. Continuing on our bicycles, we set out for Osterpark in SE Amsterdam, and after a few wrong turns ended up at Sarphatipark, a good spot to relax and soak up some sun.
Returning through de pijp outdoor market, we parked at a local pub with seating over the canal for a cold one. People were perched on the canals drinking and watching the boats cruise by, a nice leisurely afternoon for sure. As the sun finally dropped below the horizon and the night cooled down, we caroused the streets some, soaking up all that Amsterdam has to offer.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The last of prague
To see the outer parts of town we rented bicycles for a couple hours. The weather was nice, the ride went through two parks on the othe side of the river. We cicled back to the apartment for some wine before heading out to dinner at the pivovarsky dum brewery in the new town. While waiting in line we started up a convo with a group of Czechs and one American, who invited us to join them qt their table. Drinks were poured and authentic Czech cuisine was consumed. The night continued with us accompanying our new friends to a club on the east side of town, and later a trip to the Karlovy Lasne, the 5 story club along the water has each floor dedicated to different genres of music, a great place to dance the night away.
Our night didn't end until 4 am which made a for a rough morning, I had slept a lot better than david however. Our hostel was overbooked for the weekend, so we were forced to switch into a small apartment closer to the old town square. It was on such short notice that the manager was only able to accommodate one bed for the two of us. Thankfully I won rock paper scissors so David was on the floor. Our flight was at 5 so we walked the city one last time before departing. The flight on easy jet was a mere 2 hours to Amsterdam and when we arrived to find the hotel messed up the booking so we were upgraded to the business suite! Still a little tired we had a late dinner at a Argentina steak house for spare ribs and a fresh from the source heineken. Exhausted from the previous 24 hours it wasan early night, plenty to see and do tomorrow.
Our night didn't end until 4 am which made a for a rough morning, I had slept a lot better than david however. Our hostel was overbooked for the weekend, so we were forced to switch into a small apartment closer to the old town square. It was on such short notice that the manager was only able to accommodate one bed for the two of us. Thankfully I won rock paper scissors so David was on the floor. Our flight was at 5 so we walked the city one last time before departing. The flight on easy jet was a mere 2 hours to Amsterdam and when we arrived to find the hotel messed up the booking so we were upgraded to the business suite! Still a little tired we had a late dinner at a Argentina steak house for spare ribs and a fresh from the source heineken. Exhausted from the previous 24 hours it wasan early night, plenty to see and do tomorrow.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Prague day 2
This morning started like most with breakfast at a street corner cafe with delicious Italian coffee. We were on a quest to find the John Lennon wall not sure of its exact location we circled the block twice before coming upon the wall. Singer John Lennon's ideas gave many locals ambition prior to the Czech independence in the early 90's.
We wandered through the Mala Strana up to Prague Castle and the palace gardens. Perched on a hill the views of the city spanned for miles. The ancient architecture was worth the hike. Seeking out a less crowded area of Prague, we ventured further to the Strahov Monastery where we had riggatoni with panchetta Italian pasta and more of the same Czech beer. Our view overlooked the whole city where the red rooftops, churches and monuments sprawled into the countryside.
The night started at a micro brewery close to our hostel. The beers and liquors were cheap, 20-30 kc and the place was full of people. They featured a giraffe beer which was 4 liters tall. If David's tolerance was higher we would have indulged. Fully satiated we walked downtown to Atmosphere, where upon arrival we challenged two other Americans to a game of foosball. Several more drinks were consumed before the walk back in the rain. approached on every corner by men wielding discount cards to various strip clubs. We politely declined the offers.
We wandered through the Mala Strana up to Prague Castle and the palace gardens. Perched on a hill the views of the city spanned for miles. The ancient architecture was worth the hike. Seeking out a less crowded area of Prague, we ventured further to the Strahov Monastery where we had riggatoni with panchetta Italian pasta and more of the same Czech beer. Our view overlooked the whole city where the red rooftops, churches and monuments sprawled into the countryside.
The night started at a micro brewery close to our hostel. The beers and liquors were cheap, 20-30 kc and the place was full of people. They featured a giraffe beer which was 4 liters tall. If David's tolerance was higher we would have indulged. Fully satiated we walked downtown to Atmosphere, where upon arrival we challenged two other Americans to a game of foosball. Several more drinks were consumed before the walk back in the rain. approached on every corner by men wielding discount cards to various strip clubs. We politely declined the offers.
Praha
Continuing on the 8:48 train from Berlin to Prague, we arrived 4 hours later to a hot summer afternoon in the Czech capital. Wenceslas square led us to our hostel, we proceeded to the Old Town square to find some grub. The area was lively and full of people, there was a lot going on including a pole vaulting competition, and some sort of a politcal rally.
A very important part of any visit to Prague is the Pilsner Urquell, the world's first pilsner is brewed here and is enjoyed by all. Lunch was had at a Giovanni Pizzeria for wood fired Napoleon style pizza. Going west we reached the Vltava river promenade, which we took to the famous Charles Bridge. Charles Bridge is the first bridge to cross the river and is adorned with statues and droves of tourists.
Most of day was spent wandering through the city streets, gett
A very important part of any visit to Prague is the Pilsner Urquell, the world's first pilsner is brewed here and is enjoyed by all. Lunch was had at a Giovanni Pizzeria for wood fired Napoleon style pizza. Going west we reached the Vltava river promenade, which we took to the famous Charles Bridge. Charles Bridge is the first bridge to cross the river and is adorned with statues and droves of tourists.
Most of day was spent wandering through the city streets, gett
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